Meetings: Budget Hits Board of Selectmen Agenda This Week

The only new business on the agenda for Monday night's special Board of Selectmen meeting 7:00 p.m. at the Newtown Municipal Center: the 2013/2014 budget.

The town faces uncertain challenges in 2013 stemming from the tragic events of December 14 -- while finance officials recently established a special revenue fund to distribute donations, the more than $176,000 going to the town will be used according to donor's wishes, separate from the main budget.

This is also the first year the town budget and educational budget will be bifurcated, meaning voters will eventually approve each budget separately. In November, voters approved by a wide margain a measure to separate the budgets. Earlier in January, Superintendent Janet Robinson proposed a 6.5% increase for the school district, significantly higher than any previous update -- an increase Robinson called "survival numbers."

The Board of Education will host a public hearing and discussion Tuesday night at the Newtown Municipal Center for the school budget. Also Tuesday night, the Board of Selectmen is scheduled to continue budget discussion on public safety and public works at the Newtown Senior Center.